Watercraft paddles are well known. Watercraft paddles are used in activities such as: kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, small watercraft, etc. Whether for recreation, strength training, or safety, one of the drawbacks of operating a paddle is that the paddler or user requires both hands to operate the paddle. In order to use a device while on a paddle-driven watercraft, the paddler has to stop paddling and secure their paddle beforehand, which may become tiring and cumbersome as the paddler loses all momentum when they stop paddling. Additionally, the paddler risks damaging or losing any item they bring on their paddle-driven watercraft due to the instability of many of those watercrafts. Consequently, the user is greatly restricted on the items they can carry or operate while operating a paddle-driven watercraft.
Stand-up paddleboarding is a popular recreational and sporting activity. When operating a stand-up paddleboard (Hereinafter, “SUP”), the user stands and balances on the SUP. The user then grasps a paddle with both hands and propels their SUP through the water while standing. The paddle has a blade on one end and a handle on the other end, as opposed to other paddles that have blades on both ends. In order to improve the speed of a paddleboard user, whether for races, physical training, or for the user's own enjoyment, the user must develop an efficient paddle stroke, as well as their strength and balance. Currently, there is no convenient and simple device to train the paddler to develop their balance, as well as their stroke efficiency and strength.
Lastly, the oceans and waterways where people operate their watercraft are becoming increasingly polluted. Many groups are dedicated to cleaning up our waterways and meet on paddle-driven watercraft to accomplish this goal. These groups prefer paddle-driven watercraft because they cause little to no additional damage to the environment, as opposed to the pollution caused by marine engines. However, there is no way to efficiently operate a paddle while being able to operate a device to clean debris out of the water. Thus, the environmental impact of these groups is lessened without such a device.
As a result, there exists a need for improvements over the prior art and more particularly for a more efficient way of attaching devices to a watercraft paddle for recreational or training purposes.